Calif. Muslims want fed probe of pig-leg vandalism

ONTARIO, Calif.—Pig’s legs were thrown on the proposed site of a Southern California mosque, and a Muslim civil rights group is asking federal officials to investigate.

Worshippers said two women threw the three legs onto the driveway of the proposed Al-Nur Islamic Center in Ontario shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday and sped away in a white pickup, said Munira Syeda, spokeswoman for the Greater Los Angeles Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Pork is forbidden to practicing Muslims and pigs are considered unclean animals.

“This is Ramadan. It’s the holiest time of the year for most Muslims, so it’s especially offensive,” Syeda said Friday.

The site is a house where Muslims gather to worship until a mosque is built there, Syeda said.

A security guard saw the incident and a vandalism report was filed with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

No arrests have been made, sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday, the council urged the government to open a hate-crime investigation.

“Only firm action by local, state and federal law enforcement authorities will send the message that bias-motivated attacks on Muslims, or Americans of any faith, will not be tolerated,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in a statement.

No investigation has been opened, but it could be in the future if officials believe it is warranted, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles.

Plans for the proposed mosque are still in the approval process and some residents have expressed opposition, Syeda said.

Some worry that the mosque will create traffic and other problems, but some simply do not want a Muslim house of worship in the city, she said.

“Unfortunately, there’s a wave of anti-Islamic sentiment around the country,” Syeda said. “It’s a time for Americans to remember our values of pluralism and diversity.”

The vandalism came only days after four teenagers were arrested for allegedly throwing lemons and oranges at a mosque in the San Francisco Bay area of Hayward. It occurred last Saturday during prayers at the American Muslim Association.

Four Hayward boys, ages 13 to 16, were arrested on suspicion of vandalism that interfered with the civil rights of the worshippers.

It was one of several recent vandalism attacks on the mosque, authorities said.

CAIR’s national headquarters issued a community safety advisory for U.S. mosques this week following “other incidents targeting mosques” in Missouri and Rhode Island and after the deadly shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the group said.

Pig’s leg ? well..pick it up, clean the place and get on with your business. If this is PHOBIA/ HATE, then what of the other religious places in Islamic countries ? If ISlam/ Muslim let other religions thrive in Islamic socieities, it’d do more good to ISlam than a million CAIR whinings ever can.

//Aikido Arjun 14 August 2012 at 9:53 pm

I worked at a Navajo boarding school as a teacher back in 1988. The Principal came knocking at my door as someone had vandalized the front of the school. She was appalled. Someone had taken a litter of kittens and cut each of them in half. They used the bodies to draw pentagrams in blood and write curse words. They placed the mutilated bodies on the doors and hung an adult cat from the flag pole. It was disturbing. I put on some rubber gloves picked up the bodies and placed them in a garbage bag. I got water soap and bleach and cleaned up the blood the best I could and called it a day. The Principal was very intelligent, she did not want me to say anything and we did not call the police. Why give the people who did it any feedback on their actions. The point is that sometimes you just need to clean up and ignore some situations. The people that commit them get a kick out of the publicity they receive. I am sure these two women are reading every article they can find about their actions.

//criley401 15 August 2012 at 12:57 am

On the other hand criley, the perp of the horrible cat act is walking free and maybe graduating to human victims.

Anytime muslims receive the faintest mirror image of what they are dishing out, they get all excited and scold. The kumbaya crowd falls for it, and will until something happens to wake them up.

//anon 15 August 2012 at 7:56 am

@anon. How do you suppose that We(muslims) are getting what we dish out when we are the only community in America that dosent commit hate crimes against anybody, make racial slurs about other races or promote violence. When in fact Islams basis of belief is peace, freedom, and justice for man and woman by Gods laws, not mans law. Y’all are so quick to judge us as Muslims with no facts to support your bias statements when only God can judge. And His judgment is the only judgment. So before you or anynody else decides to make fictional comments that we get what we deserve or we get what we dish out, check the historical archives and view for yourself who are the real terrorist. And it wont be the Muslims.

//Hasim 15 August 2012 at 8:48 am

ccc,

i have to agree with anon. people who kill animals often graduate up to people. it is one of the most common threads you find in pyscological profiling of serial killers. maybe that was jeffery damer? you should call the police. especially considering you can’t buy half cats at the grocery store. but i agree with you on the press coverage part. no need to get the media involved, unless of course the police feel it would be helpful.

//mike 15 August 2012 at 10:05 am

Hasim, the US muslim community is doing and saying all sorts of things. Climb off your pedestal and read more.

//anon 15 August 2012 at 1:09 pm

Hasim,

“when we are the only community in America that dosent commit hate crimes against anybody” what? have you never heard of 9/11? the 93bombing of the wtc? the times square bomber? the dc sniper? they guy who wanted to blow up a christmas tree lighting ceremony? the space needle or jfk plots? how about sami osmakac?

“make racial slurs about other races or promote violence.” guess you have never heard of sami al-arian, say death to america? how about louis farrakh?

“Gods laws, not mans law” so you are for replacing the constitution of america (man’s law) with sharia (god’s law)?

“only God can judge” that’s crazy. you are an anarcist? no law can be imposed? no one can be judged by a judge or a jury?

“And His judgment is the only judgment” “fictional comments” lol.
so you sure that “when we are the only community in America that dosent commit hate crimes against anybody” “or promote violence”?????????

how about the lisamic thinkers society of america, ever hear of them hasim? you can state your opinion as if it is a fact, but that doesn’t make it so. and clearly you are wrong, or intentionally lying?

//mike 15 August 2012 at 1:54 pm

Hasim you know what you say cannot be true. Even in Islam you have men that intepret what the Koran says and they impose punishment based upon their understanding of the text. Do you believe these men perfect? Do you really think they know God’s will? You will have to excuse me if I have serious doubts. Lastly if you do not think that Muslims have a problem with violence you must be hiding in a closet.